Wagon hitch with automatic unit and lever releasing gear



July 21, 1953 R. P. GRIGSBY 2,646,283

WAGON HITCH WITH AUTOMATIC UNIT AND LEVER REILEASING GEAR Filed Jan. 2, 1951 A 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 III @III'IM 6 Raymond Gr/gsby INVENTOR.

BY QM July 21, 1953 R. P. GRIGSBY 2,646,288

WAGON HITCH WITH AUTOMATIC UNIT AND LEVER RELEASING GEAR Filed Jan. 2, 1951 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f o i y g. i 45? I J 9* g I\ a it Raymond I? GrIgsby INVENTOR.

BY M

Patented 'July 21, 1953 OFFICE WAGON HITCH WITH AUTOMATIC UNIT AND LEVER RELEASING GEAR Raymond P. Grigsby, Aurora, Nebr. Application January 2, 1951, SerialNo. 203,855

' 3 Claims. (01. 28033.15)

' This invention relates to newvand useful im provements in coupling devices'and the primary coupling unit whereby a wagon hitch may be automatically coupled to a corn picker as the picker is backed tothe wagon.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a wagon hitch including a pin seat and a spring urged cam surfaced hook that extends across the seat and which hook is moved by a pin away from the seat until the pin has cleared the hook whereuponithe hook will snap behind the pin to lock the same in the seat.

A further object of the present invention is to I provide a wagon hitch and coupling of the aforementioned character including .a lever that is manually actuatable by the driver of the corn picker to permit the hook to release the pin-for uncoupling the picker and wagon drawn thereby.

A still further aim .of the present invention is to provide a wagon bitch with automatic unit and lever releasing gear'that is simple andp-ractical inconstruction, and which is quickly and readily applied to or. removed from awagon and corn picker in a convenient manner.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and c l-aimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which: V

Figure 1 is aside elevational view of a corn object of the present invention is to provide a l picker'and wagon coupled thereto through use of the presentfinvention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the present invention attached to a picker frame andreceiv- Figure 3- is aside view'of Figure 2} Figure 4 is'a view similar to Figure 2 but show ing the hook member-in its released position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectionalfview taken substantially on the plane of section line 5-5 of Figure 3;.v

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical sec- I .tional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 6-6 of Figure 2; and

Figure '7 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 1-1 of Figure 4. a

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration; there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral 10 represents a transverse portion of a corn picker I2 having a rearwardly projecting tongue l4 that overlies the 7 forward end of a draw bar I6.

' A plate I8 is suitably fixed on the, rear end of the bar I6 and includes a forward offset 20 that coacts with the forward end of the bar IS in defining a channel in which the tongue [4 is reserved. -A coupling pin 22 extends downwardly through the offset 20 and the bar It as well as the tongue M to pivotally secure the draw bar and tongue together. I

The outwardly turned ends of an elongated channel bracket 24 are secured to the'bar i6 and this bracket embraces the sliding draw bar 26. The rear offset end 28 of an elongated plate 30 is secured beneath the rear end of the draw bar it and terminates in a V-shaped end 32 that underlies a V-shaped seat 34 at the'rear end of the bar- !3. The seat 34 and end 32 are secured together by rivets or the like 36 and spacers 38 surround the rivets 36 and arepositioned between the seat 34 and end 32. g

The shank portion 30 of a hook member 42 is pivoted for horizontal swinging movement be- One end of a substantially L-shaped arm ,48 is I secured to the tongue M of the offset 20 and the bar I6 by the pin 22. The other end of the arm ls-supports a U- sh-aped clampill that embraces the frame member 10-. The arm 48 carries a vertical pivot 52 'that extends through the'central portion of a horizontally swingable arm or member 54.

the member 54 and. to anear 58 on the shank portion 40. A spring 60 connects the car 58 to the bar I6 and retains the hook member across the portions 32,34 as shown in Figure 2. The arm supports an angle bracket 62 to which there ispivoted a vertically swingable lever 64. The lever 64 isconnected to the other end of the member 54 bya pitm'an or' link 66 so'that the hook member 42 may be manually moved away from portions 32, 34.

In practical use of the present invention, as the hitch pin P of a wagon W enters the seat 34 and end 32, the hitch-pin rides against the cam surface 46 of hook member 42 to urge thehook member away from the seat 34 and end 32 until Apitman 56 is terminally pivoted to one end of V 3 snaps behind the pin to lock the pin and bar I6 together.

To release the pin, the lever 64 is manually forced forwardly to shift the link 56 rearwardly, thereby swinging the hook 42 away from the seat 34 and end 32 The pivot 68 securing the forward end of the link 56 to the member 54 overlies the pin 22, hence the present hitch may operate regardless of the position of the wagon, for example when the tractor is in a left turn the hitch will have traveled to the very left of the frame of the machine swinging from the pivot 22.

When the conventional hitch is used, it is nec- V and the tongue, the rear portion of said bar being provided with a V-shaped pin seat, a cam surfaced hook member pivoted to said bar forwardly of said pin seat and adapted to engage about a pin seated in said seat, means urging said hook member toward the apex of said seat with the cam surface of said hook member extending across the pin seat to be engaged by a pin entering the seat, a horizontally swingable member centrally pivoted to the arm, a pitman having a rear end pivoted to the hook member and a vertical pivot securing the forward end of the pitman to one end of the horizontally swingable member, said pivot being vertically aligned with the pin, whereby said hook member may be pivoted by movement of said arm regardless of the angular relation of said bar to said transverse portion.

scures the view and he must rely entirely on hearing the directions given by the man underneath guiding the wagon tongue.

Such a dangerous and unsatisfactory procedure is avoided with the present hitch and coupling inasmuch as the pin will be guided into the V- seat and automatically locked in place. 7

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A wagon hitch comprising a clamp adapted to be mounted on a towing vehicle, a rigid attaching arm fixed to the clamp, a draw bar having forward and rear ends, the rear end of said draw bar having a notch therein to accommodate a pin of a wagon, a horizontally swingable hook member pivoted to the bar and extendable across the notch to lock a pin in the notch, a vertical coupling pin extending through the attaching arm and the forward end of the draw bar, an elongated actuating arm centrally pivoted to the attaching arm for horizontal swinging movement, a pitman having a forward end pivoted to one end of the actuating arm and having a rear end pivoted to the hook member, the pivot between the pitman and the actuating arm being vertically aligned with and spaced from the coupling pin whereby the hook member may be swung by the actuating arm and pitman regardless of the angular relationshipbetween the draw bar and the attaching arm, and means on the clamp and connected to the actuating arm for imparting horizontal swing to the actuating arm,

2. In a farm implement having a rear transverse portion and a rearwardly extendingtongue fixed to and extending rearwardly from said transverse portion, a wagon hitch with automatic coupling unit and lever releasing gear comprising a draft bar having forward and rear portions, a clamp engaging said transverse portion adjacent said tongue, a rigid attaching arm fixed at one end to the clamp, the other end of said arm overlying said tongue, a vertical pin extending down- 6 3. In a farm implement havin a rear transverse portion and a rearwardly extending tongue fixed to and extending rearwardly from said transverse portion, a wagon hitch with automatic coupling unit and lever releasing gear comprising a draft bar having forward and rear portions, a clamp engaging said transverse portion adjacent said tongue, a rigid attaching arm fixed at one end to the clamp, the other end of said arm overlying said tongue, a vertical pin extending downwardly through the forward portion of said bar and also extending downwardly through the arm and the tongue, the rear portion of said bar b ing provided with a V-shaped pin seat, a cam surfaced hook member pivoted to said bar forwardly of said p-in seat and adapted to engage about a pin seated in said seat, means urging said hook member toward the apex of said seat with the cam surface of said hook member extending across the pin seat to be engaged by a pin entering the seat, a horizontally swingable member centrally pivoted to the arm, a pitman having a rearend pivoted to the hook member and a vertical pivot securing the forward end of the pitman to one end of the horizontally swingable member, said pivot being vertically aligned with the pin, whereby said hook member may be pivoted by movement of said arm regardless of the angular relation of said bar to said transverse portion, a plate secured tothe undersurface of said bar and'including a rear oifset end portion that underlies the bar and which terminates in a V-shaped end that underlies said'seat, said hook member being pivotally mounted between said bar and said offset end portion.

RAYMOND P. GRIGSBY,

I References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 677,332 Bartholomew, July 2, 1901 755,850 -Crisler Mar. 29, 1904 784,927 Crisler Mar. 14, 1965 860,763 Olsen July 23, 1907 1,491,637 Schrum Apr. 22, 1924 1,523,309 Stewardson Jan. 13, 1925 2,464,424 Weldon et al Mar. 15, 1949 

